Joel Dale Wright v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections

HULL, Circuit Judge:

Joel Dale Wright, a Florida inmate, filed a 28 U.S.C. § 2254 petition for a writ of habeas corpus, raising multiple challenges to his capital conviction and death sentence. The district court denied Wright’s petition, but granted a certificate of ap-pealability (“COA”) as to two guilt phase claims, alleging Brady 1 violations and ineffective trial counsel, and one death sentence claim, involving an invalid aggravating circumstance.

Having considered the state court record, the district court’s thorough order, and the parties’ submissions, and with the benefit of oral…